Abortion

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 3 July (WA 49), what was the total cost to taxpayers for provision of in vitro fertilisation by primary care trusts following publication of the February 2004 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines; and what was the total monetary cost of abortions funded by the National Health Service over each successive year from 2004 to 2007, together with the proportion of the latter annual sum that was required to cover the cost of abortions taking place in the independent sector under NHS contract in each year.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Information on the total cost of the provision of in vitro fertilisation treatment by primary care trusts (PCTs) following the publication of the guideline by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in 2004 is not collected centrally.
	Costs to the National Health Service for abortions performed in NHS hospitals are set out in the following table. The department does not hold complete data on the cost to the NHS for abortions performed in the independent sector under NHS contract.
	
		
			 Year National total cost of medical and surgical terminations undertaken by NHS organisations (Schedule 4 of national reference costs) 
			 2006-07 £62,886,000 
			 2005-06 £78,588,000 
			 2004-05 £67,637,000 
		
	
	Source: Schedule 4 (NHS trusts and PCTs combined) of the national schedule of reference costs notes:
	1. The figures in the table above represent the number of finished consultant episodes multiplied by the national average unit cost.
	2. National average unit costs are calculated on a weighted basis.
	3. Schedule 4 2006-07 data are not directly comparable to 2005-06 and 2004-05 due to a change in the data collection.
	4. Figures have not been adjusted for the market forces factor.
	5. The data collection for 2007-08 is due to start in September 2008.

Afghanistan: EU Police Mission

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any British police officers are serving with the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan; and, if so, how many.

Lord West of Spithead: Currently, one serving UK civilian police officer and nine retired officers are seconded to the EU Police Mission in Afghanistan. An additional four officers, three serving and one retired, will take up posts in the mission later this month.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Baroness Northover: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their reaction to the recent closure of the Afghan Jalozai refugee camp in Pakistan's north-west province, and the return of 53,000 of its residents to Afghanistan.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The policy of refugee camp closure in Pakistan is endorsed by the Government of Pakistan and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Residents of the Jalozai camp who chose to return to Afghanistan will have had the opportunity to do so under the auspices of the UNHCR voluntary repatriation programme. This programme provides an assisted repatriation package of $100 to all returnees. DfID and the British High Commission in Islamabad maintain close contact with UNHCR.

Africa: Agricultural Input Subsidies

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in the light of the Agricultural Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi, they will consider offering assistance for similar initiatives in other sub-Saharan African states.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The Department for International Development (DfID) supports a programme with the World Bank under the African Union's (AU) Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) that is looking at ways to get both fertilizer and maize markets in Africa working more efficiently. The programme will promote the lessons in one country, such as Malawi's experience with support to its fertilizer markets, more widely in the region. DfID also provides core-funding support to the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). AGRA's programme includes a $160 million soils health initiative.
	DfID support to the agricultural sector in Malawi was agreed within the context of the country programme, managed by our office in Lilongwe and agreed with the Government of Malawi. Whether this experience is replicated in other country programmes would depend on the strategic priorities of the Government and the DfID programme in question.

Airports: Public Transport

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many and what proportion of air passengers travelled to (a) Heathrow Airport, (b) Gatwick Airport, and (c) Luton Airport by public transport in each of the past 10 years.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The tables below show the number and proportion of air passengers who travelled to or from Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport and Luton Airport by public transport in each of the past 10 years. Figures for Luton Airport are for 1996 and 2000 to 2007 as no survey was conducted 1997 to 1999.
	
		
			 Table 1: Air passengers who travelled to or from Heathrow Airport by public transport (rail, bus/coach, or tube)1 
			  Public Transport Public transport (million) Total passengers (million) 
			 1998 32 13.0 40.6 
			 1999 35 14.7 42.1 
			 2000 36 16.1 44.7 
			 2001 35 14.2 41.2 
			 2002 34 13.6 39.7 
			 2003 36 14.2 40.1 
			 2004 36 15.7 43.6 
			 2005 37 16.1 43.6 
			 2006 35 15.6 44.2 
			 2007 38 16.8 44.0 
			 1 Figures for use of public transport are based on final mode of transport used by passengers arriving at Heathrow 
			 Source: CAA Passenger Survey 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Air passengers who travelled to or from Gatwick Airport by public transport (rail or bus/coach) 
			  Public transport Public transport (million) Total terminating passengers (million) 
			 1998 30 6.9 22.9 
			 1999 33 7.6 22.9 
			 2000 32 7.7 24.5 
			 2001 30 7.4 24.5 
			 2002 30 7.4 24.6 
			 2003 32 8.0 24.6 
			 2004 31 8.3 26.5 
			 2005 32 8.5 26.7 
			 2006 35 10.3 29.3 
			 2007 35 10.8 30.6 
			 1 Figures for use of public transport are based on final mode of transport used by passengers arriving at Gatwick 
			 Source: CAA Passenger Survey 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Air passengers who travelled to or from Luton Airport by public transport (rail or bus/coach) 
			  Public transport % Public transport (million) Total terminating passengers (million) 
			 1996 14 0.3 2.3 
			 2000 20 1.2 5.8 
			 2001 26 1.6 6.1 
			 2002 24 1.4 5.8 
			 2003 24 1.5 6.2 
			 2004 25 1.7 7.1 
			 2005 28 2.3 8.3 
			 2006 30 2.7 8.9 
			 2007 29 2.8 9.3 
			 1 Figures for use of public transport are based on final mode of transport used by passengers arriving at Luton 
			 Source: CAA Passenger Survey

Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act: Voluntary Retention of Data

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many grants they have given to telephone companies and internet service providers to assist them in the voluntary retention of data under Section 106 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001; and what has been the total annual value of such grants in each year since 2001.

Lord West of Spithead: Payments under Section 106 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 (ATCSA) commenced after the code of practice for the retention of communications data was approved by Parliament in 2003, the first payments being in financial year 2004. In October 2007, the Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2007 came into force and many former ATCSA grants payments are now made under those regulations.

Arabic

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many speakers of Arabic are employed in the United Kingdom by the Home Office, and what percentage of total Home Office employees this represents.

Lord West of Spithead: The Home Office does not centrally collate information with regard to the number of Arabic-speaking staff it employs.

Armed Forces: Buses

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the estimated annual cost of providing free bus travel to seriously injured military personnel; when these free bus passes will be introduced; whether any restrictions will be placed on the hours during which these passes can be used; and whether any consideration has been given to extending the scheme to all serving military personnel and veterans.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: We estimate that 35,000 to 40,000 seriously injured service personnel and veterans under the age of 60 will be eligible for concessionary travel. This figure includes people who already qualify for concessionary travel. Based on generous assumptions, we estimate the additional costs to be in the region of £4 million to £8 million per year. The new concession will be introduced by 1 April 2011.
	The statutory bus concession allows concessionaires free bus travel on local buses from 9.30 am to 11 pm Monday to Friday and at all times at weekends and on bank holidays. These times will apply to the new concession for military personnel. At present, we have no plans to extend this scheme to other military personnel and veterans.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, Ms Bridget Prentice, has received from the Confederation of British Ex-service Organisations (COBSEO) on the future of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal; and what response they are sending to COBSEO.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Confederation of British Ex-service Organisations has welcomed many of the proposals we are making for the future of the Tribunals Service, including better geographical access to the full network of Tribunals Service hearing centres for Pensions Appeal Tribunal appellants.
	It has concerns with the proposal that the Pensions Appeal Tribunal will transfer into a Social Entitlement Chamber, within the new structure enabled by the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act. As such, the office for my honourable friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, has approached the organisation and offered to meet to discuss in detail the concerns it has.

Aviation: Domestic Flights

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many commercial passenger flights there were between Stansted Airport and (a) Newcastle, (b) Edinburgh, (c) Glasgow, and (d) other UK mainland destinations in each of the past five years; and how many passengers were carried between Stansted Airport and each of those destinations.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The tables below show the number of commercial passenger flights and passengers carried between Stansted Airport and Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other UK airports in each of the past five years.
	
		
			 Table 1: Commercial passenger flights between Stansted and Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other UK airports 
			  Thousands 
			  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 
			 Newcastle 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.9 
			 Edinburgh 4.1 4.1 4.7 4.0 3.7 
			 Glasgow 3.3 3.3 4.1 4.4 4.3 
			 Other UK airports 16.8 16.4 13.2 12.9 13.2 
			 Total (All UK airports) 26.9 26.5 24.8 24.2 24.1 
			 Source: DfT analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Passengers carried on commercial passenger flights between Stansted and Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other UK airports 
			  Thousands 
			  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 
			 Newcastle 299 319 319 303 298 
			 Edinburgh 500 500 521 470 449 
			 Glasgow 378 397 436 462 448 
			 Other UK airports 1,526 1,519 1,389 1,425 1,359 
			 Total (All UK airports) 2,702 2,734 2,665 2,660 2,554 
			 Source: DfT analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data

Aviation: Heathrow

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the long-term potential to reduce the number of domestic flights from Heathrow Airport; and
	What assessment they have made of the potential to reduce the number of transit passengers using Heathrow Airport; and
	What assessment they have made of the potential to reduce the number of flights from Heathrow Airport to European destinations within five hours' travel time by train.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Department for Transport's position on Heathrow is set out in the 2003 Future of Air Transport White Paper and the recent Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation.
	Our support for new capacity at Heathrow, subject to meeting strict local environmental limits, is underpinned by detailed modelling of passenger demand up to 2030. These forecasts indicate that the range of domestic and international flights offered at Heathrow is crucial to the UK and particularly beneficial to the connectivity of passengers located in regions outside the south-east. As such, we have not modelled or assessed scenarios that would reduce the number of domestic flights or European flights from Heathrow. We have also not considered measures to reduce the number of transit passengers using Heathrow.
	Ultimately, if policy support for further development at Heathrow is provided, it will be a commercial decision for the airport operator, working with its users, to decide which flights and destinations it wishes to operate in the future.

Banking: Bank of England

Lord Barnett: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much the Bank of England has lent to banks, excluding Northern Rock, in the past five years; and what charges were levied for such loans.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Bank of England undertakes financial transactions with firms on a daily basis. Details of the Bank's balance sheet can be found in the Bank's annual reports and in the "Bank Return". The interest rates that the Bank charges for loans depend on the type of lending. Transactions with individual firms, and the interest rates on such transactions, are a matter of commercial confidentiality.

Banking: Charges

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will enter into discussions with the joint stock retail banks to ensure that hidden charges and small print devices to conceal charges are abolished.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The OFT launched a market study in April 2007 to consider questions about competition and value for money in the provision of personal current accounts, such as transparency of costs to consumers and ease of switching. The OFT will be engaging with relevant parties over the coming months in order to discuss the findings from the market study published in July 2008 and the most appropriate next steps to tackle the problems identified.

Benefits: Overseas Recipients

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord McKenzie of Luton on 5 June (WA 70-1), how many people with addresses in India and Pakistan were paid social security benefits and pensions in 2006-07; how much was paid in total to such persons; and how many of them are over 90.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information is in the tables.
	
		
			 Number of customers living in India and Pakistan by benefit 
			 Benefit Number of customers  
			  India Pakistan 
			 State Pension 4,540 5,000 
			 Bereavement Benefit 20 20 
			 Incapacity Benefit 0 0 
			 Maternity Allowance 0 0 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance 0 0 
			 Widows Benefit 80 240 
		
	
	Data source: caseload scan 31 December 2006.
	Notes:
	1. The above is the number of customers living in India and Pakistan and paid state pension or other benefits by International Pension Centre.
	2. All figures are rounded to the nearest 20.
	
		
			 Number of customers aged 90 and above living in India and Pakistan 
			  Number of customers  
			  India Pakistan 
			 Total 140 160 
		
	
	Data source: caseload scan 31 December 2006
	Notes:
	1. The above is the number of customers aged 90 and above living in India and Pakistan and paid state pension by International Pension Centre.
	2. All figures are rounded to the nearest 20.
	
		
			 Benefit expenditure to customers living in India and Pakistan by benefit 
			 Benefit Actual benefit expenditure  
			  India Pakistan 
			 State Pension £7,678,440 £8,828,940 
			 Bereavement Benefit £83,800 £128,300 
			 Incapacity Benefit/Maternity Allowance £11,800 £0.00 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance £10 £0.00 
			 Widows Benefit £147,460 £346,080 
		
	
	Data source: actual expenditure 2006-07
	Notes:
	1. The above is the amount of state pension and other benefits paid to customers living in India and Pakistan by International Pension Centre in the year 2006-07.
	2. All figures are rounded to the nearest £10.

Bonuses: DBERR

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many staff working for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform were paid a bonus in each of the past five years; and what was the total amount of bonuses paid by the department.

Baroness Vadera: The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (previously DTI) awards non-consolidated bonuses in two formats:
	1. Special bonuses to recognise performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations. Staff in receipt of a special bonus may also receive an annual performance award.2. Annual performance awards paid to highly successful performers as part of the annual pay award.
	Based on the information available the number of staff receiving these awards, as a proportion of the total workforce they represent, total amount of bonuses and the size of the single largest payment for which this information can be provided is in the table below.
	
		
			 Financial Year Special Bonuses   Performance Awards   Largest single payment of Bonuses 
			  Number of staff receiving Proportion of the workforce receiving Total Value Number of staff receiving Proportion of the workforce receiving Total Value  
			 2007 - 08(1) 1238 36% £693,386 1065 31% £2,265,502(4) £16,500 
			 2006 - 07 919 20% £491,669 1286 29% £2,532,180 £15,000 
			 2005 - 06 1237 27% £521, 902 1257 28% £l,808,630 £8,000 
			 2004 - 05 1261 26% £498,592 1274 26% £1,563,180 £8,000 
			 2003 - 04 1458 29% £572, 149 1269 26% £1,505,328 £6,000 
		
	
	(1) Financial year running from 1 April to 31 March.
	(2) In 2007-8 the total value of bonuses paid was approximately 1.5% of the total department's paybill.
	(3) The special bonuses and performance awards for non-SCS staff are paid on a non-consolidated, non-pensionable basis and do not increase the department's paybill costs each year. For the SCS the Senior Salaries Review Body determines the level of expenditure to cover bonuses.
	(4) Includes staff who were transferred from DTI to DIUS as part of the June 2007 Machinery of Government Changes as these staff received a DTI/BERR pay award in 2007. Does not include those staff transferred into BERR from Cabinet Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government as part of the June 2007 Machinery of Government Changes as these staff received Cabinet Office and DCLG pay awards respectively in 2007.

British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 14 July (WA 106) concerning the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat, what the grades of the British staff are; and who they are.

Baroness Crawley: The grades of the staff on the British side of the secretariat range from D2 to Senior Civil Service (SCS). The current British joint secretary is Mary Madden (SCS), and the deputy British joint secretary is Tim Logan (Grade A).
	They are supported by eight staff members. The names of other staff members are not being disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.

Broadcasting: Digital Switchover

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Oldham on 10 July (WA 91), whether Freesat will be available from UTV in Northern Ireland; and where in the United Kingdom are the 2 per cent of households for which Freesat is unavailable.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Estimated satellite coverage for Freesat in Northern Ireland is the same as the rest of the UK (98 per cent of households), as the UTV region is representative of the UK in terms of satellite reception conditions.
	The 2 per cent of households that cannot receive satellite transmissions are spread across the UK. We do not have exact details of these locations.

Broadcasting: Digital Switchover

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Oldham on 10 July (WA 91—92), whether the timing of digital switchover in the Republic of Ireland will have any influence on the proposed switchover in Northern Ireland in 2012.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Irish Government have not yet set a date for digital switchover in Ireland; Northern Ireland is scheduled to switch over in 2012. We are currently consulting the relevant authorities and regulators over switchover plans and will work to minimise any disruption.

Budget

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the formal opening of an excessive deficit procedure against the United Kingdom following agreement by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of the European Union, and to what timescale they will act to bring the United Kingdom's budget deficit below 3 per cent of gross domestic product, as required, given the Government's responsibility to manage the economic and fiscal affairs of the United Kingdom in the interests of the United Kingdom and its people.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government have consistently supported a prudent interpretation of the stability and growth pact, which takes into account the economic cycle, the long-term sustainability of public finances and the important role of public investment.
	Budget 2008 projects a treaty deficit of 3.2 per cent in 2008-09, falling to 2.8 per cent in 2009-10. This is consistent with the recommendation adopted by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council.

Control Orders

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many foreign nationals have been subject to control orders since they were introduced; and of these how many have been successfully deported.

Lord West of Spithead: As of 10 June 2008 (the end of the period covered by the last quarterly Written Ministerial Statement on control orders), 26 foreign nationals had been subject to a control order. Of these, six individuals have successfully been deported.

Control Orders

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many individuals subject to control orders were subsequently served between February 2007 and February 2008 with notices of intention to deport; on what date each of those notices was served; and how many of those individuals have been successfully deported.

Lord West of Spithead: None.

Control Orders

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many individuals subject to control orders have absconded abroad, or are thought to have absconded abroad, since control orders were introduced.

Lord West of Spithead: I would refer the noble Baroness to Written Ministerial Statements in relation to control orders published on 11 December 2006, 16 January 2007, 22 March 2007, 24 May 2007, 21 June 2007, 17 September 2007, 12 December 2007, 13 March 2008 and 12 June 2008.

Counterterrorism

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many Home Office-sponsored counterterrorism exercises have been conducted in each year since 2001; and which agencies and organisations were involved in those exercises.

Lord West of Spithead: The Home Office counterterrorist exercise programme is designed to raise awareness of and test contingency plans in conjunction with the police service and, dependent on the nature of the exercise, involve the participation of other emergency services, government departments and agencies, the military, local authorities, health providers, scientists and technical specialists.
	The programme comprises exercises that involve elements of live-play and table-top exercises. Between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2007, the Home Office delivered the following counterterrorist exercises as part of this programme:
	
		
			 Live Exercises  Table-top Exercises  
			 2001 3 2001 11 
			 2002 3 2002 7 
			 2003 3 2003 10 
			 2004 3 2004 8 
			 2005 1 2005 7 
			 2006 3 2006 11 
			 2007 3 2007 5 
			 2008 (projected) 2 2008 (projected) 10

Counterterrorism

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many police have been trained to deal with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks since July 2006; and how many police officers in total are so trained.

Lord West of Spithead: Since July 2006, approximately 1,998 police officers have been trained to deal with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks.
	Due to staff turnover and role changes, the total number of police officers trained over a given period is not representative of the number of officers that could be called on to respond to an incident. The most recent audit carried out by the Police National CBRN Centre (mid-April 2008) recorded 8,124 fully trained, equipped and deployable CBRN police officers in the UK.

Counterterrorism

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made on the piloting and implementation of the police "prevent" strategy.

Lord West of Spithead: The police "prevent" strategy and delivery plan was launched by the Association of Chief Police Officers in April. This was complemented by The Prevent Strategy: A Guide for Local Partners in England, which the Government published in June. At the same time, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary announced the allocation of new police posts for 24 forces in 2008-09. Recruitment for these posts is under way, with a view to them being in place by the autumn.
	Progress is being made in forces in the following key areas in particular: developing effective links with institutions to strengthen resilience to violent extremism, for instance through safer schools partnerships and links with other educational establishments; supporting vulnerable individuals through multi-agency interventions, tailored to the individual's needs—10 channel sites are now up and running, and there are plans to extend the scheme to further areas this year; delivering intelligence and community engagement training in seven different sites in preparation for national rollout to all forces later this year; and ensuring that preventing violent extremism is the core business of police activity at all levels, including neighbourhoods, and that information and intelligence is shared collaboratively with other key partners.
	All forces in England and Wales will be inspected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary later in the year against its implementation of the police "prevent" strategy.

Counterterrorism

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress they have made on the cross-departmental chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear resilience programme.

Lord West of Spithead: Since its establishment in 2001, the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) resilience programme has made considerable progress in providing:
	a range of national guidance publications covering all aspects of the CBRN response;specialist training for emergency service personnel through the establishment of the Police National CBRN Centre;detection equipment for first responders;decontamination equipment through the new dimension programme; andmore effective personal protective equipment (PPE) for first responders, such as the civil responder 1 (CR1) suit.
	Further details on the status of the CBRN resilience programme are available online at www.security.home office.gov.uk/cbrn-resilience.

Counterterrorism

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress they have made in implementing the recommendations of Lord West of Spithead to reduce vulnerabilities from terrorism in crowded places, the transport sector, critical national infrastructure and hazardous substances, in the short and long term.

Lord West of Spithead: Further to the Secretary of State for the Home Department's Written Ministerial Statement on 14 November 2007, the Government have made good progress in implementing the conclusions of the reviews.
	On crowded places, we have introduced a standard way of assessing risk which will for the first time provide baseline data about local areas with crowded places at highest risk. The investment of a further £1.5 million during the financial year 2008-09, for additional counterterrorism security adviser (CTSA) posts, has meant that there are now more than 180 officers to support this work. We have also tripled the capacity of the national barrier asset (which provides temporary protection for the highest risk locations).
	In the autumn, we will consult publicly about two key guidance documents: a new strategic framework to encourage greater partnership working at local level to reduce vulnerabilities of crowded places; and a counterterrorism supplement to the existing guidance Safer Places—The Planning System and Crime Prevention, which will act as a practical guide for designers and planners.
	The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) is due to publish shortly two new protective security guidance booklets for cinemas, theatres, restaurants and hotels. Guidance tailored for the requirements of major events, education and health sectors, religious sites and commercial centres is also being prepared to supplement existing protective security guidance.
	CTSAs have now delivered more than 460 ARGUS exercises (counterterrorism scenario-based training exercises for primarily retail businesses located in crowded places) since January 2007. A new ARGUS "professional" has been developed aimed at architects, planners, designers and developers following four pilots carried out earlier in 2008 across the UK. NaCTSO has also developed an ARGUS exercise for the "night-time economy", which will be available from CTSAs from August 2008 onwards. Regional-based counterterrorism awareness briefings are also being provided to police architectural liaison officers in 2008-09.
	On critical national infrastructure (CNI), a new infrastructure categorisation scheme has now been implemented. Sector sponsor departments and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) are reviewing our essential services to produce a new, up-to-date catalogue of national infrastructure. This includes information networks as well as physical sites for a more comprehensive picture of the UK's critical national infrastructure. The catalogue will be reviewed on a regular basis.
	We are developing guidance to explain the Government's strategic approach to infrastructure protection, outlining the roles and responsibilities of those involved in critical national infrastructure protection, for sharing with key partners. We have also accelerated the research and development work being led by the CPNI.
	On transport, the review recognised the scope and nature of our transport security programmes and that there was no requirement for a fundamental change in how we regulate counterterrorism security. The Government had already been working to address the security of public areas at airports and on the railways prior to the incident at Glasgow Airport in June 2007, building on existing security procedures which apply to both airports and the railways.
	We continue to balance the necessary response to the ongoing level of threat with the need for people to travel. Where necessary, we introduce additional requirements, such as those proposed in the transport security Bill. Where appropriate, we develop capability, such as our three-year operational trial of an extension to the British Transport Police's passenger screening announced on 26 June, and the introduction of vehicle restraint measures at key stations. Where possible we minimise the impact, such as lifting the "one bag" restriction on aircraft cabin baggage at 50 UK airports.
	On the review of hazardous substances announced by the Prime Minister in November 2007, I refer the noble Baroness to the Statement I laid before this House today.

Counterterrorism

Lord Ahmed: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What process was used to select the winning bid for the Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation Programme; and
	How many official bids there were with reference to the Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation Programme; and
	Whether the winning bid for the Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation Programme was selected through a competitive process.

Lord West of Spithead: The £12.5 million announced on 3 June is the money that the Home Office has allocated to a number of departments, agencies and organisations to deliver programmes to support vulnerable individuals. This comprises a range of activities rather than a single programme that the Government invited bids for.
	The £12.5 million from the Home Office is to help prevent extremism in communities and will be spent on funding projects specifically to support institutions or individuals vulnerable to radicalisation. New schemes will include:
	£1 million for the Home Office to extend police-led multi-agency projects to identify and support vulnerable individuals at risk of being targeted by violent extremists;£3.5 million to youth offending teams and youth secure establishments on new work to prevent violent extremism, focused on supporting young individuals who have had contact with the criminal justice system;£7.25 million to the National Offender Management Service and partner agencies to do further work in prisons and the community to tackle vulnerability to radicalisation among offenders;£750,000 for the Home Office to fund further grassroots projects aimed at tackling radicalisation.
	All of the £12.5 million will be spent in the 2008-09 financial year.
	The Home Office regularly carries out cross-government consultation with all its key stakeholders including the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills among others. Organisations with experience in dealing with vulnerable individuals were identified and projects created to contribute to the delivery of the PREVENT strategy. All approved projects are scrutinised by governance boards, which feed into the NSID(E) board chaired by the Prime Minister.

Crime: Knives

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What psychiatric and medical advice they sought and received before announcing that perpetrators of knife crime should visit their victims in hospital; what effects they expect such visits to have on victims; what is likely to be the added cost to the National Health Service of facilitating escorted visits; and whether such visits could contribute to hospital infection.

Lord West of Spithead: The knife referral project involves ensuring that young people who have been convicted of possession of a knife understand the risks and consquences of their actions. If they do not receive a custodial sentence, they will attend, as part of their community sentence, a weapons awareness programme and this may include discussions with A&E professionals and victims' families.
	There is no proposal that offenders who have committed violence involving knives should visit their victims in hospital.

Crime: Online Fraud

Lord Broers: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the periods (a) 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008, and (b) 1 April 2008 to date, how many complaints of online fraud by customers of financial institutions were forwarded by the financial institutions to the police.

Lord West of Spithead: In 2007-08, 23,344 cases of fraud by false representation that involved a cheque, plastic card or online bank account were recorded by the police (this includes some instances of the similar offence of cheque and credit card fraud committed under old legislation in place before 15 January 2007).
	Those offences could have been referred directly by a financial institution, reported by an account holder or merchant who was not refunded moneys by their financial institution or dealt with as a direct call for service to the police where a suspect was believed to be committing a crime at the time. The offences will in some instances relate to online fraud, but there is no specific category of recorded crime to separately identify them.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Architects, Planners and Surveyors

Baroness Whitaker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many architects, planners, landscape architects and chartered surveyors are currently employed by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Baroness Andrews: The department currently employs eight planning officers. The department does not have specialist grades for architects, landscape architects and chartered surveyors. The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) is the Government's advisor on architecture, urban design and public space.

Department for Transport: Publications

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much was spent by the Department for Transport on magazines, newspapers and other publications in each of the last three years.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Total payments coded as expenditure for magazines, newspapers and other publications in the Department for Transport's accounting systems during the last three complete financial years is recorded as:
	2005/06—£553,881
	2006/07—£277,389
	2007/08—£302,267.
	The totals exclude data from the Government Car and Despatch Agency and the Driving Standards Agency, which could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	From 2006-07, the central department introduced a revised coding structure. Prior to this, it was not possible to separate expenditure on books and purchases of other official material. The total for 2005-06 therefore includes this expenditure.
	The figure provided by the Highways Agency for 2005-06 also includes publications purchased for specific road projects. The data used to complete the answer rely upon correct coding of expenditure by finance staff.

Deportation

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many memorandums of understanding to facilitate the deportation of foreign nationals on grounds of national security and unacceptable behaviour are in place; and with which countries; and
	How many memorandums of understanding to facilitate the deportation of foreign nationals on grounds of national security and unacceptable behaviour are currently being negotiated; and with which countries; and
	Since July 2006, how many deportation actions on grounds of national security and unacceptable behaviour to countries with which the United Kingdom has a memorandum of understanding have been successful; and how many have been unsuccessful.

Lord West of Spithead: Memoranda of understanding on deportation with assurances were signed with Jordan, Libya and Lebanon in 2005. Separate arrangements, set out in an exchange of letters in July 2006, apply in respect of Algeria.
	The Government are pursuing agreements regarding deportation with assurances with a number of countries. Identification of the parties would prejudice these negotiations. Copies of any agreements concluded will be placed in the Library in due course, as has been done previously.
	Since July 2006, no one has been deported to Jordan, Libya or Lebanon on grounds of either national security or unacceptable behaviour. Six men have been deported to Algeria since that date, all on national security grounds.

Discrimination

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether United Kingdom anti-discrimination legislation needs to be amended in light of the decision of the European Court of Justice in Case C—54/07 Centrum voor gelijkheid van kansen en voor racismebestrijding v Firma Feryn NV.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: We note the judgment of the European Court of Justice in this case, as such decisions can only help to ensure that member states are fully compliant with the directive. The case broadly concerned the enforcement powers that may be required to deal with situations where unlawful discrimination is apparent, but no individual victim has been identified. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is already empowered to bring enforcement proceedings in situations where no identifiable victim has come forward—for example, where it identifies discriminatory advertisements, discriminatory practices or where it otherwise thinks an unlawful act is likely to be committed. Our initial view, therefore, is that our existing legislative framework is compliant. We are, however, considering the judgment in detail and will be analysing it in terms of our wider proposals for the new Equality Bill.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 22 January (WA 28) and 8 July (WA 73) and by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 14 May (WA 135), why the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has been unable to advise the Department of Health on the efficacy of stem cell derivation from whole human embryos cultured beyond 14 days to form outgrowths, from which no stem cell lines have reportedly been deposited in the UK Stem Cell Bank since the issue was raised in 2006.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The department has not asked the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) for advice regarding the efficacy of stem cell derivation from outgrown embryos. It would be for the HFEA to form a view on this technique, if it were appropriate, to assess the validity of a licence application.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 14 May (WA 135), what have been the shortest recorded and average time intervals between award of a licence by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for the purpose of deriving embryonic stem cell lines and deposition of the resulting stem cell lines in the UK Stem Cell Bank.

Lord Darzi of Denham: This information is not collected centrally.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 19 June (WA 177—78), 24 June (WA 227) and 8 July (WA 73), which of the centres licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) are known to have been culturing whole embryos to form outgrowths for more than 14 days; how many embryonic stem cell lines in total have been deposited by each of these centres in the UK Stem Cell Bank; what proportion of the stem cell lines deposited by each of these licensed centres were derived from outgrowing embryos; and which of these licensed centres were simultaneously pursuing projects for which one of the specified purposes considered by the HFEA in corresponding licence applications was "increasing knowledge about the development of embryos".

Lord Darzi of Denham: No licence from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) permits centres to culture live human embryos beyond 14 days or the appearance of the primitive streak, in accordance with Sections 3(3)(a) and 3(4) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act 1990. Entities which form when human embryos are allowed to outgrow their structure are not classed as live human embryos and do not breach Sections 3(3)(a) and 3(4) of the 1990 HFE Act.
	This is because the entities do not have the organisation structure of a viable embryo and are not representative of a 3D suspended embryo undergoing gastrulation (the stage of development during which the primitive streak emerges). The HFEA has issued licences to two centres (St Mary's Manchester and Roslin Cells Limited) that allow embryos to outgrow in this way in order to extract the inner cell mass.
	One research project (at Guy's Hospital, London) has been licensed by the HFEA under several purposes, including increasing knowledge about the development of embryos.
	It is a condition of an HFEA research licence that if a stem cell is derived a sample of the line has to be deposited in the United Kingdom Stem Cell Bank. The HFEA is aware that 35 stem cell lines have been derived under HFEA licences. Information on the lines that have been deposited and the number of lines awaiting to be deposited can be found on the UK Stem Cell Bank website at: www.ukstemcellbank.org.uk.

Equality Commission: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was meant by the conclusion, "the Agreement imposes a binding obligation upon Ireland to ensure that at least an equivalence of rights protection is in place in Ireland as that applying in Northern Ireland" in chapter 12 of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland's report, Equivalence in Promoting Equality; whether that represents their policy; and, if so, what representations they have made to the Government of Ireland on this issue.

Baroness Crawley: The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is an independent body. As Lord Rooker set out in his Answer of 6 March 2008, Official Report, col. WA192, the sponsorship of the commission is a matter for the devolved Administration.

Essex

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On how many occasions Ministers and officials from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform or the Department of Trade and Industry have visited Essex in each of the past five years.

Baroness Vadera: My noble friend the Minister of State for Trade and Investment is looking forward to visiting Essex in October. The then DTI Ministers responsible for Energy, Science and Innovation, Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs all made visits to Essex as have many officials although as there is no central record of these we are unable to provide further details.

EU: Data Retention Directive

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In light of the transposition of the data retention directive (2006/24/EC), as applied to telephone networks, into United Kingdom law by secondary legislation (SI 2007/2199), what plans they have to make similar provision in respect of the directive's application to the internet; and, if there are no plans for such implementation, how they intend to give legal force to these elements of the directive.

Lord West of Spithead: In October 2007, the Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2007 came into force, completing the initial transposition of the European data retention directive. We plan to consult publicly before transposing the remainder of the directive to come into effect on 1 April 2009.

Fertility Treatment

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 3 June (WA 34-35) regarding data held by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority on numbers of eggs collected per in vitro fertilisation treatment cycle since 1991, what was the total number and percentage of cycles over each successive year at which (a) 20 or more eggs, 30 or more eggs, (b) 40 or more eggs, (c) 50 or more eggs, (d) 60 or more eggs and (e) 70 or more eggs were collected per cycle at each of the licensed centres respectively where the percentage of cycles at which collection of between 20 and 85 eggs per cycle exceeded the median percentage.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Fertility Treatment

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 5 December 2007 (WA 196) and 18 December 2007 (WA 117) regarding reporting of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), what was the total number and percentage of patients known to have been at risk of OHSS at each respective licensed centre according to records held by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority over each successive year since 1991; and what percentage of these cases were reported to the HFEA as adverse incidents.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has informed the department that it assesses the overall incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in the United Kingdom and has recently commissioned Professor Adam Balen to update his 2005 report into OHSS following fertility treatment. However, the HFEA does not collect detailed clinical information about individual patients going through in vitro fertilisation treatment, such as their treating clinician's assessment of their propensity to develop OHSS, and so does not hold the information requested.
	Copies of Professor Balen's 2005 report have been placed in the Library.

Food: Pork and Bacon

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action the Department for Communities and Local Government is taking to implement the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed.

Baroness Andrews: The policy of Department for Communities and Local Government is to use the procurement best practice guidance that encourages consideration of sustainable procurement activities, including the use of small to medium enterprises and the third sector. All procurement is undertaken in line with the European Commission's procurement rules and to obtain value for money. British products are used where possible.
	Figures on the proportion of British pork and bacon purchased by my department are included in the report: Proportion of domestically produced food used by government departments and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service that is available on the PSFPI web site at http://www. defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/govtfood-usage.pdf. Up-to-date data will become available towards the end of the year when the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs plans to publish a new report.
	Catering services for Communities and Local Government are provided as part of the department's facilities management contract. Our caterer strives to ensure that it is buying and partnering with suppliers who are concerned about both the environment and animal welfare. The following bodies are some of the accreditation they look for; Assured Food Standards (Red Tractor Mark); the Soil Association; the National Association for Catering Butchers; the British Cheese Awards; the Freedom Food welfare scheme, and; the Marine Conservation Society.
	Our caterer aims to provide menus which are nutritionally balanced, appetising and built around variety, while using ingredients that are lower in saturated fat, salt and added sugar.

Food: Pork and Bacon

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is taking to implement the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed.

Lord Jones of Birmingham: The department's contract with our catering service provider, Baxter Storey, ensures that they comply with the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI) and that they procure from local sources wherever possible. They state that 100 per cent of their fresh pork purchased is of British origin, as is 75 per cent of bacon. Monthly meetings with the catering contractor are held to monitor general progress in delivering PSFPI objectives, including action to ensure that the bacon and pork served meets UK welfare standards. Purchasing policy is also reviewed at these meetings.

Food: Pork and Bacon

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action the Department for Transport is taking to implement the public sector food procurement initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Department for Transport does not purchase food centrally. All food procurement at the very few directly managed catering facilities within the department is undertaken in line with the EU's procurement rules and to obtain value for money.
	At departmental level, 33.5 per cent of bacon and 98.5 per cent of pork is domestically sourced, as published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) at: www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/govt-food-usage.pdf.
	Updated information will be published by Defra later this year.

Food: Pork and Bacon

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action HM Treasury is taking to implement the public sector food procurement initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Food is supplied to HM Treasury as part of the catering service provided by its PFI provider at 1 Horse Guards Road. The Treasury encourages the PFI provider to adopt the objectives of the PSFPI. One hundred per cent of pork supplied is reared and farmed in the UK. Forty per cent of bacon comes from UK sources, and the PFI provider is working hard with its suppliers to increase this proportion. The PFI provider's policy is to aim to source meat products of the highest quality and in accordance with UK welfare regulations for animal husbandry and welfare. It keeps its purchasing policy under regular review.

Food: Pork and Bacon

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action the Home Office is taking to implement the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed.

Lord West of Spithead: The Home Department inclusive of its agencies does not contract directly for food supplies but procures catering services through wider facilities management (FM) or operational service contractors. To obtain information on what proportion of pork and bacon the department purchased is British would incur disproportionate costs.
	When placing a contract with FM or operational services contractors, government guidance on sustainable food and farming is incorporated in appropriate terms and conditions with regards to the procurement of food. Purchasing policy is reviewed frequently to incorporate new policy initiatives.

Food: Pork and Bacon

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action the Ministry of Justice is taking to implement the public sector food procurement initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed; and
	What action HM Prison Service is taking to implement the public sector food procurement initiative in respect of its purchasing of pork and bacon; what proportion of pork and bacon purchased is British; what attention is given to farm assurance, animal welfare, and health and nutrition; and how often purchasing policy is reviewed.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is currently working alongside other public sector bodies with the Food Quality Standards Group, a sub-group of the Food Procurement Group (FPG) working towards common agreement on commodity group standards. This work is nearing completion and will lead to a submission to the FPG.
	The MoJ makes use of the Department for Food and Rural Affairs catering toolkit and the model specification clause covering farm assurance standards, animal welfare and other standards of production, plus food safety.
	The guide Putting it into Practice on the PSFPI website is also a source of information used by the MoJ: www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/ resources.htm.
	The MoJ also includes a requirement for contractors to evidence how they will implement the public sector food procurement initiative within the evaluation criteria of any competitions for the supply of foodstuff.
	The proportion of pork and bacon purchased that is British is answered within the Defra report at www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/govt-food-usage.pdf. This report is also referenced in the British Pig Executive report, Is the Government Buying British?. Defra again proposes to publish data by the end of 2008 on the proportion of domestically produced food used by government departments for the period July to June.
	Additionally, food commodity standards and specifications are reviewed regularly to accommodate the requirements of a changeable and diverse consumer base. As a minimum they are scrutinised prior to any tendering exercise.

Freedom of Information

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the estimated cost incurred by the Department for International Development in answering freedom of information requests from the TaxPayers' Alliance pressure group, including civil servants' time.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The Department for International Development (DfID) does not hold information on estimated costs of responding to individual requests. Complying with the Freedom of Information Act does not require compilation of such estimates.

Gibraltar: Police

Baroness Harris of Richmond: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What consultations they have had with the Gibraltar Services Police Staff Association about the future of the Gibraltar Service Police.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: HQ British Forces Gibraltar issued for consultation the terms of reference document for the Gibraltar policing and security review to the Gibraltar Services Police Staff Association (GSPSA) and other interested parties on 4 June 2007. They responded on 19 June 2007 and conduct of the review commenced on 20 June 2007. The GSPSA has been kept informed on the progress of the review. Should the review determine an option that changes the current status or structure of the Gibraltar Services Police, the normal process of consultation will take place in line with standard departmental procedures.

Gibraltar: Police

Baroness Harris of Richmond: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	(a) what consultation has been carried out with the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Gibraltar Services Police regarding the proposed amalgamation; and (b) what response they received from the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Gibraltar Services Police regarding the merits and feasibility of this amalgamation.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: We have not reached any decision on the future of the Gibraltar Services Police (GSP). Work is continuing, and part of this process will involve discussions between HQ British Forces Gibraltar and the Government of Gibraltar on future policing options. Once these discussions have concluded, there will be a full appraisal of the options for the future of the GSP before any final decision is taken. Accordingly, there have been no consultations with the GSP on a possible transfer to the Royal Gibraltar Police. Over the past year, the GSP has actively engaged in the security review. While there has been some low-level engagement with the Royal Gibraltar Police, detailed discussions and consultation will be undertaken with the Government of Gibraltar in due course.

Government: Home Office Laptops and Phones

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many (a) laptops, and (b) mobile phones issued to Home Office and associated agency staff were lost or stolen in each of the past five years.

Lord West of Spithead: We only have accurate information for the past three years.
	In 2005, there were 26 mobiles recorded as lost, seven as stolen and four as missing. Three laptops were reported as lost, and 11 laptops were reported as stolen.
	In 2006, there were seven mobiles recorded as lost and three as missing. Three laptops were reported as lost, one as missing and 10 were reported as stolen.
	In 2007, 43 mobile telephones were reported as lost and four were reported as stolen. Three laptops were reported as lost and 12 were reported as stolen.

Government: IT Contracts

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What information technology contracts have been entered into by the Department for Transport and its associated agencies in each of the previous three years; and what is the total value of those contracts.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: A list has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses showing IT contracts entered into by the Department for Transport and its agencies in the previous three complete financial years. The total value of these contracts was £115,095,680.

Government: Regional Ministers

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to improve the accountability of regional Ministers to Parliament.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Regional Ministers do not have executive powers, and it is for departmental Ministers to answer Parliamentary Questions on issues pertaining to their department's responsibilities. The Government believe, however, that regional Ministers should be accountable to Parliament for their activities and fulfilling the roles set out in The Governance of Britain Green Paper, and have made proposals accordingly in their response to the third report of the House of Commons Select Committee on Modernisation of the House, of the current Session, into regional accountability, published on 21 July (Cm 7376).
	We have announced that provision should be made in the Commons for regional Grand Committees in each English region (excluding London, at least initially), at which there would be oral questions to regional Ministers on their activities in their capacity as regional Ministers and other proceedings in which regional Ministers will participate. The Government's response also proposes the establishment of regional Select Committees, which could seek evidence from regional Ministers, among other witnesses. The Government hope to bring forward motions to implement these proposals in the autumn.

Health: Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which of the recommendations from the Chief Medical Officer's 2007 annual report they intend to implement in the coming year.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Government are grateful to the Chief Medical Officer for his annual report. It raises important issues, to which the Government will give careful consideration.

Health: Commissions

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How continuity between the work programmes of the Healthcare Commission and those of the Care Quality Commission will be maintained when it is established, with particular reference to ongoing special review.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will be an independent body, with powers to carry out special reviews of the provision of National Health Service care or adult social services. The CQC will consult on and publish its programme of reviews.
	The department has been working very closely with the existing commissions and the shadow chair of the CQC to ensure plans are in place to minimise any risks arising from the organisational change involved in the creation of the new regulator and to achieve a smooth transition. It is our expectation that where the existing commissions undertake special reviews during 2008-09, those reviews will be completed and published by the end of that year so that the CQC can properly plan its own programme of future reviews.

Health: Commissions

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How specific recommendations made by the Healthcare Commission on the performance of healthcare providers will be followed up and monitored by the Care Quality Commission when it is established, with particular reference to patient safety issues and compliance with core standards.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will become responsible for the regulation of health and adult social care providers from April 2009. To ensure continuity, the CQC will, in designing the systems and methodologies necessary for carrying out its regulatory functions, build on the work of the bodies that it will replace. This will include taking into account any recommendations made by its predecessor bodies about any particular provider to ensure that patient safety is not compromised and providers continue to meet all necessary regulatory requirements. From April 2010, the new CQC will move to a common system of registration for all providers of regulated health and adult social care.
	The department recently carried out a 12-week consultation on what the essential requirements of safety and quality of care should be that providers have to meet in order to maintain their registration. The responses to the consultation are currently being analysed and the Government's response will be published in due course.

Health: Commissions

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What arrangements will be made to ensure that the Healthcare Commission's investigations of complaints which are ongoing when the commission is dissolved are officially followed through and concluded.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has confirmed that she will take responsibility for any complaint that has been received by the Healthcare Commission and has not been concluded prior to its abolition.

Health: Cord Blood

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action is taken by NHS Cord Blood Bank in relation to cord blood units collected which are not suitable for transplant.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The NHS Cord Blood Bank asks prospective mothers, when they register to donate their cord blood, to consent to its use for transplantation and research purposes. If the cord blood donation is not suitable for clinical or research purposes or if consent has not been given to use it for research, then it is disposed of appropriately.

Health: Drug Tariff

Baroness Masham of Ilton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In which areas of the drug tariff the NHS efficiency target is used to determine the annual fee increase formula for remuneration.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The National Health Service efficiency target is one of the factors used in the annual uplift formula for pharmacy remuneration through the fees and allowances set out in the drug tariff.

Health: Herbal Products

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they have taken to establish whether chromatographic fingerprinting is an appropriate requirement in the testing of multi-ingredient herbal remedies which are to be registered under the traditional herbal medicinal products directive (2004/24/EC); and what estimate they have made of the cost of commissioning such tests for a single product containing several herbal ingredients; and
	When was the last occasion on which (a) Ministers, and (b) officials of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency met representatives of the European Commission to discuss the impact of the traditional herbal medicinal products directive (2004/24/EC) upon specialist manufacturers, retailers and consumers of herbal remedies; and what the outcomes of any such meetings were.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Chromatographic fingerprinting is an accepted methodology in the analysis of herbal products and has been included in European guidelines and the European Pharmacopoeia since the early 1990s. With regard to multi-ingredient herbal medicinal products, it is recognised that identification and assay of individual herbal ingredients in the herbal product is difficult to perform and sometimes impossible. The European Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products has recently developed a guideline, in consultation with industry, that addresses the issue of multi-ingredient herbal products. The guideline states that if testing for identity or assay or to demonstrate stability cannot be performed in the herbal product, alternative strategies may be considered. The guideline refers to appropriate fingerprint chromatograms, appropriate overall methods of assay and physical or other appropriate tests. The applicant is therefore able to select appropriate methods and justify their use.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) submitted evidence in 2007 to the Commission's review of directive 2004/24/EC. In addition, the MHRA has had a number of opportunities—for example, through sharing a platform at conferences—to update Commission officials on the agency's early experience of the expending number of companies submitting applications under the traditional herbal registration scheme.

Health: Medical Records

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have for allowing NHS patients to be responsible for their own medical records when they do not wish them to be on the NHS database.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Patients are able to opt out of having their clinical information uploaded to the "spine", the national database of key information about patients' health and care within the NHS Care Records Service, by choosing not to have summary care record. Clinicians are none the less required by their professional bodies, and for clinical governance and medico-legal reasons, to keep clear, accurate, legible and contemporaneous patient records, and to keep these secure and confidential.
	It is good practice for all those who provide care to patients to discuss and agree with them what they are going to record and, if asked, to show what they have recorded and to provide copies of any letters they write. In this way all patients are able to have responsibility for the content, accuracy and completeness of their own records in whatever form they are kept.
	Since December 2003, we have provided the facility for patients to store their personal health information on a secure website, HealthSpace. This effectively provides people with their own on-line personal health organiser. It is a free service available to all National Health Service patients living in England aged 16 and over. HealthSpace offers a set of basic features to support people in managing their health, including a diary feature with a calendar/reminder service and address book; personal health history with the ability to record key metrics for chronic disease management, for example weight, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels; a search system for local NHS services information; and access to the choose and book online booking service.
	In 2007, HealthSpace also started providing people in areas covered by the NHS Summary Care Record Early Adopter Programme with the option of on-line access to their summary care records. Eventually, this option will be available to all NHS patients in England.

Health: Urology Appliances

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will ensure the adequate funding of home delivery for single line prescription items in relation to urology appliances.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Home delivery is a related service that many patients value. Consequently, views are sought on the fees proposed in the current consultation which are intended to contribute towards the cost of additional dispensing services that it is proposed that every dispensing appliance contractor and pharmacy contractor in England should be required to provide as part of their essential service provision for items that they supply in the normal course of their business. Such services include the home delivery of items if the patient requires it.

Health: Urology Appliances

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the exclusion from the 2 per cent reduction in price reimbursements of manufacturers by the National Health Service for items listed in proposed new Arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the Provision of Stoma and Incontinence Appliances—and Related Services—to Primary Care—June 2008 is limited to companies with a turnover of less than £5 million based only on their turnover in the United Kingdom according to the Prescription Pricing Division published figures or less than £5 million based on their turnover including non-United Kingdom activities.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The review of Arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the Provision of Stoma and Incontinence Appliances—and Related Services—to Primary Care applies to England only. Copies of this publication have already been placed in the Library. As noted, it has been proposed that manufacturers who have applied directly to the Prescription Pricing Division for a product to be listed on the drug tariff can apply for an exemption from the proposed 2 per cent reduction in reimbursement provided that their net ingredient cost (NIC)* in the 12 months preceding the announcement of any new arrangements for items listed in Part IXA (catheter), Part IXB and Part IXC was less than £5.6 million.
	Notes:
	*NIC on stoma and incontinence products dispensed in England in the 12 months preceding the announcement of any new arrangements.

Health: Urology Appliances

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How the Department of Health will ensure that the link between the NHS efficiency target and the annual price increase mechanism for remuneration in the Proposed New Arrangements under Part IXof the Drug Tariff for the Provision of Stoma and Urology Appliances—and Related Services—in Primary Care: A Consultation—June 2008 does not result in future price reductions which lead directly to product withdrawals.

Lord Darzi of Denham: No new arrangements for a price increase mechanism have been agreed, as the consultation is ongoing. Therefore, the department is unable to comment until such time as all responses to the consultation have been received and analysed.

House of Lords: IT

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	How many computers provided by PICT to members of the House of Lords are retained (a) outside the parliamentary estate, and (b) inside the parliamentary estate.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: Members are entitled to a desktop computer for use in their parliamentary office and to a laptop computer for use at any location. One hundred and ninety eight desktop computers and 328 laptop computers are currently on loan to Members from PICT.

House of Lords: IT

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What is the total cost of computers provided to Members of the House of Lords for use (a) within the parliamentary estate, and (b) outside the parliamentary estate, in each of the past four years.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The cost in each of the past four years of providing Members with desktop computers for use in their parliamentary offices and laptop computers for use at any location is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial Year Desktop computers (including monitors) Laptop computers 
			 2007-08 £37,013.20 £56,513.85 
			 2006-07 £59,300.25 £132,917.50 
			 2005-06 £37,053.15 £58,911.00 
			 2004-05 £118,396.52 £170,434.57

House of Lords: IT

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What is the annual cost of PICT or its predecessor in the House of Lords in each of the last four years.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: Prior to the creation of PICT on 1 January 2006, the House of Lords paid 15 per cent of the costs of the Parliamentary Communications Directorate. The House now pays 20 per cent of the costs of PICT. The annual expenditure by the House on central ICT services and equipment in each of the last four financial years is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial Year £000s 
			 2007-08 4,857 
			 2006-07 4,290 
			 2005-06 2,663 
			 2004-05 2,403

House of Lords: IT

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What is the cost of providing printers to Members of the House of Lords for use (a) within the Parliamentary Estate, and (b) outside the Parliamentary Estate, in each of the last four years.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The range of printers provided by PICT to Members includes models that can be used both within and outside the Parliamentary Estate. It is not, therefore, possible to break down cost by location. The total cost in each of the past four years of providing Members with printers is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial Year Total cost of printers 
			 2007-08 £25,433.78 
			 2006-07 £34,777.22 
			 2005-06 £26,645.21 
			 2004-05 £57,601.91

House of Lords: IT

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What is the cost of providing peripheral equipment for the information technology needs of Members of the House of Lords in each of the last four years.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: Keyboards, mice and computer screens are included in the purchase price of the desktop or laptop computer where appropriate. Other peripheral items are obtained in negligible quantities and the cost is not recorded separately.

House of Lords: IT

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What are the terms of the Dell contract for the supply of information technology equipment to the House of Lords.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The contract with Dell for the supply of information technology equipment to the Houses of Parliament is subject to the Houses' normal procurement terms and conditions. In addition, there are specific terms relating to the service, such as supply of equipment within 28 days of placement of an order and measures to ensure prices remain competitive.

House of Lords: IT

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What was the cost of supplying inkjet cartridges to Members of the House of Lords in each of the last four years; and
	What was the cost of supplying laser toner cartridges to Members of the House of Lords in each of the last four years.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The cost of supplying printer cartridges to Members of the House of Lords in each of the past four years is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial Year Total cost of printers 
			 2007-08 £49,955 
			 2006-07 £36,045 
			 2005-06 £29,630 
			 2004-05 £ 18,971 
		
	
	A breakdown of costs between inkjet and laser toner cartridges is not recorded.

House of Lords: IT

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What is (a) the cost, (b) the name of the suppliers, and (c) the manufacturer's item number of (1) mobile phones, (2) printers, and (3) computer equipment available to Members of the House of Lords following advice from PICT.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: Members of the House of Lords are entitled to the loan of one personal digital assistant or one Smartphone from PICT. These devices can be used as mobile phones. At present, Members can select one of three devices, which range in price from £240.00 to £405.00 excluding VAT.
	The information requested regarding printers and computer equipment is as follows:
	
		
			  Supplier Item number Cost 
			 Printer Dell 1720dn £170.00 
			 Printer Computacenter Canon PIXMA iP100 £139.64 
			 Printer Computacenter HP OfficeJet Pro L7680 £207.55 
			 Computer Equipment Dell OptiPlex 755SF 2GB £379.60 
			 Computer Equipment Dell 1708 HAS Flat Panel Monitor £151.25 
			 Computer Equipment Dell Latitude D630 Laptop £678.25 
			 Computer Equipment Dell Latitude D430 Laptop £720.00

House of Lords: IT

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What arrangements are in place for reviewing the procurement requirements for information technology equipment available to the House of Lords and its Members.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The procurement of hardware equipment is either subject to competitive tender or covered by an existing government procurement framework. The prime supplier is subject to regular service and product reviews. Where existing products do not meet the needs of Members, additional products will be identified. Additional products can be sourced from alternative suppliers if required.
	The supply of equipment to Members will be subject to a new procurement exercise in the next one to two years. Consultation with Members on future requirements will form part of the procurement exercise.

House of Lords: IT

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What consideration has been given to extending the life of all information technology equipment made available to Members of the House of Lords under manufacturers' or suppliers' guarantees.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: Support agreements of three years were formerly obtained for computer equipment, including printers. New equipment is now acquired with four years' extended warranty. The current approach will be reviewed within the next one to two years as part of a new tender for the supply of hardware.

House of Lords: Photocopiers

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What consideration is being given to the provision of minimal function photocopying in communal areas the House of Lords.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The House authorities endeavour to provide photocopiers in communal areas that fulfil the needs of users while retaining ease of operation and maintenance. The user requirements are for reasonably basic functions that include the ability to make multiple copies, double-sided if required, and for the machine to collate documents. These requirements were taken into consideration during the tender process in 2005 to contract photocopiers for the Palace and the outbuildings and will be taken into account again during the tender exercise this autumn to replace the photocopiers in Fielden House.

House of Lords: Photocopiers

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What was the cost for each of the past four years of the provision of photocopiers in communal areas of the House of Lords.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: Eight photocopiers are provided in communal areas within the Lords area of the Palace of Westminster and nine photocopiers are provided in the Lords outbuildings. The rental cost of these photocopiers for each of the past four years is as follows:
	
		
			  2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 
			 Palace £7,960 £5,478 £5,669 £5,669 
			 Outbuildings £7,417 £6,001 £5,864 £5,864 
			 Total £15,377 £11,479 £11,533 £11,533

Housing: Affordability

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Andrews on 1 July (WA 29—30), whether the use of the definition of affordable housing, published in Planning Policy Statement 3—Housing for measuring Housing Affordability Pressure in the consultation paper Eco-towns, Living a greener future is adequate for that purpose; and
	Whether the use of the criterion Housing Affordability Pressure in the consultation paper Eco-towns, Living a greener future is comparable across all the bids received.

Baroness Andrews: The definition of housing affordability pressure is "the ratio of lower quartile house price to lower quartile earnings". This is reported annually by district and can be found on the department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/152924.xls.
	This was used to calculate housing affordability in the districts where an eco-town was proposed. The Government's definition of affordable housing appears in Planning Policy Statement 3 - Housing and was quoted in the Written Answer of 1 July.
	Housing affordability pressure in locations where eco-towns were proposed was one of a number of criteria used to shortlist eco-town proposals. When assessing all bids, the same basket of criteria was used to arrive at an overall grading for each location.

Housing: Design

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	To what public bodies South Somerset District Council may apply for help in relation to the promotion of good housing design within that area.

Baroness Andrews: There are a range of public bodies that local authorities can apply to for help in relation to the promotion of good housing design within their area. The choice between these bodies would depend on the specific advice and support that the local authority is seeking.
	The Commission for Architecture and Built Environment (CABE), which is sponsored by DCMS and supported by my department, can provide expert advice on proposed schemes and practical assistance on visioning, masterplanning and public space projects through their Design Review and Enabling Services. The Advisory Team for Large Applications (ATLAS), which is hosted by English Partnerships, offers guidance on strategic and complex planning applications around the delivery of large housing or regeneration projects, including around design. The Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC) can advise and assist local authorities in assessing and developing the generic skill base that they need to create and maintain better places and deliver good quality housing.

Housing: Development

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the light of current rates of building of new houses, what action they will take to prevent developers whose planning permissions are due to expire from carrying out interim minor building works that leave the site substantially undeveloped with consequent adverse landscape effects.

Baroness Andrews: There is no evidence to support the view that developers deliberately "land bank" by carrying out minimal works to a site so as to meet commencement of development conditions for planning permission. We therefore have no plans to change planning legislation in this respect.

Housing: Home Information Packs

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Andrews on 1 July (WA 30), whether the Chatham House rule prohibits reporting the subject-matter of discussions or only the attribution of detail to individuals present.

Baroness Andrews: The stakeholder panel was conducted under the Chatham House rule prohibiting the attribution of comments to individuals present.

Housing: Mortgages

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make resources available to enable local authorities to provide mortgages to first-time buyers.

Baroness Andrews: We are currently considering a number of options for helping the state of the housing market and the availability of mortgages, but we have no plans to make resources available to local authorities to provide mortgages to first-time buyers.
	Local authorities already have this power and can do so if they wish.

Immigration: Cost of Applications

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 15 July (WA 140) concerning the cost of immigration applications, why no consideration is given to the length of time an applicant has lived in the United Kingdom as a taxpayer when the cost of an immigration application is calculated.

Lord West of Spithead: The costs of processing an application do not vary according to the length of time that a person has spent in the UK as a taxpayer. It is right that all applicants pay towards the costs of processing the application to cover these costs.
	For applications that are set above the cost of delivery, it is right that those who use the system most and who benefit most from the services and applications that we offer contribute most to the end costs of the immigration system.

Immigration: Failed Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many failed asylum seekers were returned to Sudan in the past three years.

Lord West of Spithead: Forty-five Sudanese asylum applicants (including dependants) were removed or departed voluntarily to Sudan in 2005, with 75 in 2006 and 65 in 2007. Figures include persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration and those whom it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. Figures are rounded to the nearest five, and information for 2006 and 2007 is provisional.
	Further national statistics on asylum removals from the UK are available from the Library of the House and the Home Office's research, development and statistics website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.
	It is not possible to say what stage in the asylum process the returnees as a whole have reached at the time of their removal, including whether their claim has failed at that point, because those departing voluntarily can do so at any stage.
	On 9 July 2008, Ministers announced that the Government have deferred enforcing the return of non-Arab Darfuri asylum seekers to Sudan pending the outcome of a country guidance case that is due to be heard by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal in the near future. The case, originally listed to be heard in May, is currently waiting to be relisted and will address the safety of return to Khartoum.

Immigration: Georgia

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the identity of the person known as Teona is known to entry clearance officials at the British Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Lord West of Spithead: The United Kingdom Border Agency is currently investigating the noble Lord's concerns. I will write to the noble Lord and place a copy of my response in the House Library.

Immigration: Georgia

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether inquiries at the British Embassy in Georgia have been carried out to establish whether the person known as Teona had contacted persons in the British Embassy.

Lord West of Spithead: The United Kingdom Border Agency is currently investigating the noble Lord's concerns. I will write to the noble Lord and place a copy of my response in the House Library.

Immigration: Georgia

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have received evidence of any organisation's illegal involvement in visa applications for entry into the United Kingdom by citizens of Georgia.

Lord West of Spithead: The United Kingdom Border Agency is currently investigating the noble Lord's concerns. I will write to the noble Lord and place a copy of my response in the House Library.

Immigration: Georgia

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What reports Ministers and officials have received of an article in Alia by Zuram Kachlishvili on alleged illegal activity in United Kingdom entry visa applications in Tbilisi, Georgia; and what response they have made.

Lord West of Spithead: The United Kingdom Border Agency is currently investigating the noble Lord's concerns. I will write to the noble Lord and place a copy of my response in the House Library.

Immigration: Georgia

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the decision of the Immigration and Asylum Tribunal in the case of Anna Zurabishvili, what action they will take to ensure that entry clearance officers comply with immigration law in decisions on visa applications for entry into the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: The United Kingdom Border Agency is currently investigating the noble Lord's concerns. I will write to the noble Lord and place a copy of my response in the House Library.

Immigration: Georgia

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the decision of the Immigration and Asylum Tribunal in the case of Anna Zurabishvili, what assurances are to be provided to applicants for entry visas that action taken by them to exercise their rights under immigration law are not used by entry clearance officers in Georgia as grounds for refusal of entry into the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: The United Kingdom Border Agency is currently investigating the noble Lord's concerns. I will write to the noble Lord and place a copy of my response in the House Library.

Immigration: Georgia

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what dates the person who prepared the Refusal of Entry Clearance document on 1 April 2005, and the entry clearance officer who interviewed Anna Zurabishvili on 30 March 2005 were appointed to the Tbilisi Embassy.

Lord West of Spithead: The United Kingdom Border Agency is currently investigating the noble Lord's concerns. I will write to the noble Lord and place a copy of my response in the House Library.

Immigration: Harmondsworth

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What factors have contributed to the success of the welfare team at Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre since the HM Inspector of Prisons' report on Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre of 2006; what improvements can still be made; and how this achievement can be repeated in other detention centres.

Lord West of Spithead: The success of the welfare team at Harmondsworth can be attributed to an expansion in staff, who have been carefully selected for their personal qualities. They are supported and empowered by the senior management team at the centre to develop their role according to the needs of the detainees, and have established a good working relationship with staff of the local UK Border Agency and other organisations.
	The work of the team continues to evolve in line with the changing needs of the detainee population. It seeks to improve the range of assistance that it can provide to detainees. The UK Border Agency is currently reviewing its welfare provision in its centres to identify and replicate best practice across the estate.

Immigration: Removal of Children

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether arrangements are in place to ensure that children are not removed from the country when they are unfit to travel and that, where medical advice is received to this effect, the child and his or her parents or guardians are granted temporary admission.

Lord West of Spithead: The United Kingdom Border Agency fully considers known information regarding the health of each family member when planning a family removal. Should medical advice suggest that a child is unfit to travel, the removal would be deferred.
	The policy surrounding family removals can be found in chapter 45 of the enforcement guidance and is publicly available on the UKBA website at: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/enforcement/detentionandremovals
	Cases involving the detention of children are reviewed regularly to ensure that the decision to detain is based on the current circumstances of the case and that detention remains appropriate. Detention of children beyond 28 days is subject to ministerial authorisation.

Immigration: Women

Baroness Howarth of Breckland: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are aware of any cases where females seeking asylum on the grounds of (a) sexual abuse, (b) domestic violence, (c) arranged or forced marriage, (d) trafficking, (e) female genital mutilation, or (f) family disputes arising from "honour" crimes have been deported from the United Kingdom without being given access to legal advice; and, if so, how many.

Lord West of Spithead: Individuals have access to legal advice at any time during the asylum process. Details of legal advice available can be found on the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) website at: www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/asylum/helpandadvice/legaladvice/. Individuals who are detained prior to removal are provided with information on contacting the Immigration Advisory Service and the Refugee Legal Centre at the point of detention and subsequently at the immigration removal centre.

Industrial Tribunals

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In what circumstances industrial tribunals can award damages for injury to feelings in the absence of evidence of discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, nationality, age, sexual orientation or disability; and whether there is any maximum amount that can be awarded.

Baroness Vadera: Injury to feelings must be caused by an act of discrimination. Where there is no evidence of discrimination, an employment tribunal cannot make an award for injury to feelings. Where there is evidence of discrimination, and an award is made for injury to feelings, there is no limit to the amount that can be awarded.

Interception of Communications

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they are implementing the recommendations of the Privy Council Review of Intercept as Evidence (30 January 2008, Cm 7324).

Lord West of Spithead: In his Statement on 6 February 2008, my right honourable friend the Prime Minister accepted the recommendation of the Chilcot review that,
	"it should be possible to find a way of using some intercept material as evidence, provided—and only provided—that certain key conditions can be met. Those conditions relate to the most vital imperative of all: safeguarding our national security".—[Official Report, Commons, 6/2/08; col. 959.]
	The Government have made a commitment to take the necessary work forward swiftly, carefully and thoroughly. In terms of progress to date, an implementation team has been formed within the Home Office, drawing on the expertise of the intercepting agencies but separate from them and specifically tasked with addressing the Chilcot "tests". This is overseen by a steering group of the interception community.
	An advisory group of privy counsellors (AGPC) has also been established to advise the Government's implementation team. It comprises the right honourable Sir John Chilcot, my noble and learned friend Lord Archer of Sandwell, the right honourable gentleman the Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Sir Alan Beith) from the original Privy Council review, together with the right honourable gentleman the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Michael Howard), who has replaced the noble Lord, Lord Hurd of Westwell. This builds on the successful example of the original Chilcot committee.
	A work programme has been drawn up and endorsed by the steering group, AGPC and Ministers. This is now being taken forward. Subject to the Chilcot tests being met, we would hope to bring forward legislation in due course.

Internet: Communications

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they consider that the content of communication between an electronic commerce business and its customers constitutes valuable and private commercial intelligence.

Baroness Vadera: It is possible that the content of a communication between an electronic commerce business and its customers could contain information of value to competitors of that business. The Government have made clear to business the importance of protecting commercial information and have announced measures they are taking to improve the protection of the information that they retain.

Internet: Deep Packet Inspection

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What advice have they issued to internet service providers about (a) obtaining consent from, and (b) informing internet users and website owners about, trials of new technologies that utilise deep packet inspection or cookies or both.

Baroness Vadera: The Government have not issued advice to the internet service providers (ISPs) on this issue. It is the responsibility of the ISPs to reach a view on whether any new service they provide is within the law.
	The Government strongly support the use of technology that supports and enhances, rather than hinders and intrudes upon, the privacy of users' data. Both the Information Commissioner and the Home Office have offered comments to internet users and ISPs on aspects of new services aimed at targeted advertising.

Internet: Searches

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are planning to instigate an information campaign to inform Google users of how their searches are tracked and used.

Baroness Vadera: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) produces advice for individuals about their rights and guidance for organisations on how to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 when using personal information and web sites. It is in contact with Google and other similar companies providing advice on the fair and lawful use of personal information. In January 2007 it published a personal information toolkit for the general public; in June 2007 it produced guidance to data controllers about collecting personal information on the internet and in November 2007 it launched a new website to provide tips and advice on safe social networking and to help young people protect their personal information. The ICO was also involved in producing an opinion of all the European data protection authorities which set out the data protection rules for search engine operators. The Government are not planning to instigate a further information campaign.
	The use of computerised personal information in the United Kingdom is regulated by the Data Protection Act 1998. The Information Commissioner administers and enforces the Act independently of the Government.
	The Prime Minister asked Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner, and Dr Mark Walport to conduct a consultation on the use and sharing of personal information in the public and private sectors as part of their independent Data Sharing Review. The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice published the report on the Data Sharing Review in July. The impact of technology was one of the issues covered by the review's consultation paper and is covered extensively in the final report. More generally, the Government and the Information Commissioner's Office keep legislation under review in light of ever-increasing technological changes in the field of data protection. To this end, the Information Commissioner recently commissioned an assessment of the current legislation.

Internet: Searches

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to issue further guidance to Ofcom on the relationship between internet service providers, search engines and the public's awareness of what information interception, storage and monitoring may occur when they use the internet.

Baroness Vadera: The Office for Communications (Ofcom) is the independent regulator for communication service provision in the UK. However, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has responsibility for enforcement of the Data Protection Act, and produces advice for individuals about their rights under, and guidance for organisations on how to comply with, the Data Protection Act 1998 when using personal information and websites.
	Ofcom has a role in relation to media literacy, and it will be for Ofcom to decide whether it should commit additional resource to raising users' awareness of issues around personal data on the internet, including possible interception, storing and monitoring.

Internet: Unencrypted Material

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the sufficiency of implied consent for the interception for commercial purposes of internet users' unencrypted communications by internet service providers.

Baroness Vadera: Consent is a vital element of the Data Protection Act and any organisation that offers a service which involves the use of personal information has to be clear on how consent should be obtained. Any judgement about the adequacy of such arrangements is a matter for the Office of the Information Commissioner as the enforcement body for data protection legislation in the UK.

Iraq and Afghanistan: Northern Ireland Regiments

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will hold a reception and parade in Northern Ireland for those service people who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as requested in a recent campaign organised by the Belfast News Letter.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer that I gave on 17 July 2008, (Official Report, WA 187).

Iraq: Displaced People

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will raise with the relevant authorities the lack of ration cards for 30,000 displaced Iraqis living in the Nineveh plains.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The Department for International Development (DfID) is in close touch with the World Food Programme (WFP), the largest provider of food assistance in Iraq, about those internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Nineveh plains who are currently without ration cards.
	Until recently, the WFP has been unable to operate in this area due to security concerns. However, during the next few weeks, it is due to commence an operation to distribute food to IDPs who have moved to the Nineveh plains from other governorates and who have registered with the Iraqi Ministry of Migration but are currently without ration cards.
	Funding for this food distribution operation will come from the $83 million which has been earmarked by the WFP to assist 750,000 IDPs in Iraq. DfID has made a contribution in 2008 of £2 million to the WFP for this work. The Iraqi Government have recently announced the provision of $40 million to the WFP.

Israel and Palestine: Gaza

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they will take to ensure that the level of supplies of food, fuel and humanitarian goods entering Gaza is restored to that specified in the agreement on movement and access, notwithstanding minor breaches of the ceasefire.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The 15 November 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA) does not specify levels of supplies to Gaza. The UK continues to call on both parties to implement the AMA and has repeatedly raised its concerns about the continued restrictions on access to Gaza with the Israeli Government, in public and in private. Most recently, we and other EU member states expressed concerns about access restrictions faced by the UN in providing assistance to Palestinian refugees in a letter from the European Union presidency and the European Commission to the Israeli authorities on 27 June. More tangibly, the UK will also support a UN access team to help get humanitarian supplies and personnel through crossings and checkpoints.
	Moves towards a ceasefire in Gaza are very welcome. The ceasefire is an important first step to improve the daily lives of ordinary people on both sides. We hope that the militant groups will fulfil their commitment to cease attacks on Israel, and that Israel will ease restrictions on Gaza in line with its own commitments, ensuring that humanitarian aid and supplies can get through. We need to build on the opportunity that the ceasefire represents by working towards the reopening of the crossings between Israel and Gaza, under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

Judicial Appointments

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2 July (WA 41-42) on appointments to the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission, to what extent the Lord Chancellor has carried out his statutory "community-reflective" responsibilities in making appointments to the commission.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Justice (NI) Act 2002 provides that the Lord Chancellor, when making appointments to the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission, is to make such arrangements as will, so far as is practicable, secure that the membership of the commission is reflective of the community in Northern Ireland. The recent scheme to appoint a lay member to the commission included an outreach programme to give effect to the Lord Chancellor's statutory duty in this regard.

Justice: Children and Young People

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What help there is for children and young people giving evidence in criminal proceedings.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government have introduced a number of special measures to help young witnesses achieve their best evidence. These include video-recorded evidence-in-chief, evidence by live link, screens around the witness box and giving evidence with the assistance of an intermediary. National roll-out of the intermediary special measure is now almost complete. These special measures are available subject to the agreement of the court. An independent evaluation in 2004 found that 76 per cent of young witnesses were satisfied with special measures.

Justice: Children and Young People

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to give all young witnesses access to a young witness support worker.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Dedicated support already exists for young witnesses. In cases where a charge is brought, young witnesses have access to support from joint police/Crown Prosecution Service witness care units. These provide the young person or their parent/guardian with information about the progress of the case. In cases that go to trial, they will undertake a detailed needs assessment to provide support and information to attend court. This will include the relevant Young Witness information pack.
	At court itself, the witness service provides support to young witnesses in every criminal court in England and Wales. In 2006-07, the most recent year for which figures are available, Victim Support's witness service helped almost 31,000 young witnesses (under-18). Some areas offer additional support from young witness support schemes.

Justice: Children and Young People

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When a toolkit will be available for children and young people who give evidence in criminal proceedings; and
	Whether there is to be consultation on what will be in a toolkit for children and young people giving evidence in criminal proceedings; and
	What information will be provided in the toolkit for children and young people giving evidence in criminal proceedings.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government plan to issue a toolkit based on an evaluation of six existing young witness support schemes to help practitioners establish local schemes to support young witnesses. We have worked with practitioners on the content of the toolkit and will continue to do so on our plans to distribute the toolkit and to encourage and support areas to adopt the good practice. We expect to be able to issue the toolkit this autumn and subsequently support areas to adopt good practice.

Justice: Children and Young People

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the results of the child evidence review consultation will be published.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We are intending to publish the response to the consultation document Improving the Criminal Trial Process for Young Witnesses in the autumn. The publication of the government response has been delayed due to the need to analyse the volume of responses to the large number of questions asked in the consultation paper.

Landmines

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What funding they provided in matching the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund's help for Landmine Disability Support's work in Cambodia; and what support they are giving the charity to make the wider importance of its achievements known.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The Department for International Development (DfID) supported Landmine Disability Support's work in Cambodia from January 2003 to March 2007 with a grant of £147,000 through the Civil Society Challenge Fund.
	The fund requires that all projects include an element of dissemination of information and networking. The grant for Landmine Disability Support made a provision of £7,525 for information, promotion and educational materials.

Licensing: Music

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their current timetable for conducting a public consultation on licensing exemptions for low-risk musical performances; and whether this consultation will take place over the summer.

Lord Davies of Oldham: DCMS is currently developing options for consultation to exempt low impact (de minimis) licensing activities from the scope of the Licensing Act 2003. As part of that work we are taking into account the recommendations made by the Live Music Forum and discussing draft exemptions with representatives of the music sector. We are aiming to consult from the autumn and to have exemptions in place by the spring 2009.

Mauritania: Economic Migrants

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assistance is given to Mauritania by the European Union to cover humanitarian and onward repatriation costs of economic migrants returned to Mauritania by Spain.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The UK Government do not hold data on how much assistance is given to Mauritania by the EU to cover humanitarian and onward repatriation costs. We know that most migrants who make their way from Mauritania to Spain through irregular channels are not Mauritanian nationals. In response to the increased numbers in 2006, the European Commission provided a programme of assistance, financed under the rapid response mechanism, for a period of six months. The budget for the unit as a whole was €2.45 million, and one element of the programme was assistance with voluntary returns.

Motorists: First Aid

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they will take to promote a campaign of first aid training for motorists.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: In 2007, the Highway Code and other official driver learning materials were substantially revised, including the content relating to first aid advice for road users. Every theory test taken by learner drivers and riders contains at least one first-aid question drawn from an item bank of 42 such questions. The item bank was recently expanded, with input from technical experts, including St John Ambulance. Candidates should, therefore, learn about first aid as part of their preparation for the theory test.

National Security

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress they have made on consultations for establishing (a) a joint parliamentary national security committee; and (b) a National Security Forum, as outlined in the March 2008 National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom (Cm 7291).

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Government expect to put forward their proposals shortly.

Navy: Aircraft Carriers

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assurances they have received from the contractors concerning the in-service date of (a) HMS "Queen Elizabeth"; and (b) HMS "Prince of Wales".

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The contractors of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance signed a legally binding agreement with the MoD on 3 July 2008 to deliver the two future aircraft carriers in 2014 and 2016 respectively. Moreover, timely delivery will allow the contractors to reduce their costs and thereby maximise their reward under the incentive arrangements within the contract.

Navy: Aircraft Carriers

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect (a) HMS "Queen Elizabeth", and (b) HMS "Prince of Wales" to reach initial operating capability.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: Initial operating capability is expected to be declared once the vessels have successfully completed a period of sea training and inspection. This is expected to take approximately four months following the in-service dates, which have been previously announced as 2014 and 2016.

Navy: Fleet Tankers

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect to let contracts for fleet tankers to replace the currently serving Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers under the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability programme.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The main investment decision for the fleet tanker element of the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) programme is currently expected to be made during 2009. A contract will be placed with industry after that decision has been taken.

Nigeria: British High Commission

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many Nigerian citizens are employed in the administration of visa applications at the British high commission offices in (1) Abuja and (2) Lagos.

Lord West of Spithead: The total numbers of locally engaged staff employed in the visa sections at our high commission in Abuja and deputy high commission in Lagos are 56 and 109 respectively. The majority are Nigerian citizens, but the precise number is not available at present, as a breakdown of such staff by nationality is not routinely kept.
	Decisions on visa applications are made only by entry clearance officers (ECOs). Both posts in Nigeria employ several locally engaged ECOs. They are all British citizens and have been trained and received security clearance to the same level as ECOs posted from the UK.

Northern Ireland Office: Bonuses

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 15 July (WA 142) concerning bonuses for employees of the Northern Ireland Office, what contingency is made for bonuses in the allocation of funds to each department.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The decision on what proportion of their pay to spend on bonuses is delegated to departments within the overall limits on pay set by the Treasury.

Pakistan: DfID

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Under what headings the £480 million earmarked by the Department for International Development for development work in Pakistan during 2008—11 will be broken down; and what safeguards there will be to ensure that the expenditure benefits those most in need.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The £480 million that the Department for International Development (DfID) plans to provide to Pakistan in aid between 2008 and 2011 is a commitment included in the development partnership agreement signed by Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Shaukat Aziz in November 2006. Pakistan has made commitments in this arrangement to poverty reduction, sound public financial management and respect for human rights.
	The funds that we are making available will be committed under four headings as set out in the country plan, which was recently launched by the Secretary of State for International Development in Pakistan. These headings are:
	giving people access to better health and education services;making government more effective (by helping to improve capability, accountability and responsiveness of government systems);making growth work for everyone, through more sustainable and inclusive policies and programmes; andensuring that the international community works better together to improve development outcomes.
	DfID has a rigorous set of procedures to safeguard funding and ensure that it benefits those most in need. Overall progress on the country programme is measured by means of quantifiable, time-bound targets, supported by a detailed business plan. Individual programmes and projects also include a performance measurement framework with measurable targets. Progress against these targets is assessed by means of annual reviews. These reviews, which also include a comprehensive risk analysis, ensure that DfID funds are being used effectively and are achieving their intended results.

Parades: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 14 July (WA 120) concerning the employment of monitors by the Northern Ireland Parades Commission, what equality process is used in employing monitors.

Baroness Crawley: Those who perform the role of monitors do so on a voluntary basis and are not subject to employment considerations.

Parades: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 14 July (WA 122) concerning the amounts paid to Northern Ireland parades commissioners, what were their terms and conditions of employment; and what was paid to each commissioner since 2005.

Baroness Crawley: Information relating to the parades commissioners' remuneration, terms and conditions and individual salaries can be found in the Parades Commission annual report and financial statements. Copies of these reports are held in the Library.

People Trafficking: OperationPentameter 2

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What arrangements were made for the adults recovered by Operation Pentameter 2 and considered to have been trafficked, other than the 46 persons assisted by the Poppy project.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: A comprehensive victims' strategy was developed for Operation Pentameter 2. This included advice for front-line police on appropriate victim engagement; guidance on onward referral to support in the United Kingdom or through the International Organisation for Migration voluntary return schemes; and the provision of a 30-day reflection and recovery period for all identified victims. During the campaign, the Office for Criminal Justice Reform invested additional resources into the Poppy project, which resulted in service-level agreements being put in place with refuges across the country. The Scottish Government put aside additional resources to reimburse local authorities for the cost of supporting victims with no recourse to public funds during the campaign.

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the police historic enquiries team in Northern Ireland is expected to complete its work; and whether the backlog of work is having an impact on police operations.

Lord Tunnicliffe: Current assessment indicates that, given the complexity of many cases being investigated and HET's commitment to ensure families receive as much information as possible, it is unlikely the work will be completed within the original timescale. The Chief Constable has already indicated his commitment to the process beyond this point. However, a definite decision on the way forward will be best taken after the forthcoming report from the Consultative Group on the Past and the recent NIAC report. As funding of HET is in addition to the main policing budget, the backlog of work is having minimal impact on police operations.

Political Parties: Funding

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 14 July 2008 (WA 125) concerning political donations, whether the difference in treatment between Irish citizens and British citizens living in the Republic of Ireland is compatible with the principle of parity of esteem specified in the Belfast agreement of 1998.

Baroness Crawley: Paragraph 1(v) of the Belfast agreement sets out the principles on which the power of the sovereign government with jurisdiction in Northern Ireland shall be exercised, including the principle of parity of esteem for the identity, ethos and aspirations of both communities in Northern Ireland.
	The rules on donations to UK political parties by individuals living in Northern Ireland are entirely consistent with this principle; it is open to any individual on the electoral register in Northern Ireland (or elsewhere in the UK) to make such a donation.
	British citizens living in Ireland are subject to the same rules on political donations to UK political parties as British citizens living anywhere else outside the UK.

Prisoners: Database

Baroness Quin: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 25 March (WA 86), whether the new Ministry of Justice database is now in operation.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: I am pleased to say that the database to which I referred in my earlier Answer is now operational for casework purposes within the department's public protection unit. Much of the material contained in the public protection unit database (PPUD) has been migrated from other file and IT sources. Measures were taken to quality-assure that information but, as with any large-scale recording system with multiple users, the new system remains subject to possible inaccuracies as a result of data entry errors. According to PPUD, as at 31 May 2008, 3,431 prisoners sentenced to life or to an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection were being held beyond their tariff expiry date, out a total sentenced population of 11,236 such prisoners.

Prisons: Cells

Lord Ramsbotham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they regard and certify prison cells as places of accommodation or places of work.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Prison cells are certified as prisoner accommodation in accordance with Section 14 of the Prison Service Act 1952 and Prison Service Order (PSO) 1900. This requires prisoner accommodation and capacities to be certified in accordance with defined standards.

Prisons: Chaplains

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What consultations they held with the prison chaplaincy about the effect on chaplaincy meetings of the standardised core day before saying that the proposal would have no impact on the key things that go on in establishments to tackle reoffending.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: In preparation for the implementation of the standardised core day, a project co-ordinator was appointed to liaise with relevant departments to provide guidance and deal with any concerns raised. On 16 January 2008 the co-ordinator attended a meeting with area chaplains; on 9 April he attended the chaplaincy national conference and facilitated two workshops.
	The chaplaincy department was invited to various seminars to consider the post-implementation data collation. Further to this, the co-ordinator liaised at a local level between the chaplaincy and governors when required. Issues raised as a result of discussions were collated and a series of Q&A guidance notes were circulated throughout the Prison Service. A further meeting has been arranged with area chaplains in September 2008 to obtain feedback.

Questions for Written Answer: Late Answers

Lord Laird: asked the Leader of the House:
	Further to her Written Answer on 17 December 2007 (WA 107) concerning the length of time taken to answer Parliamentary Questions, what was the outcome of her discussion with ministerial colleagues on this issue.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: I regularly discuss this matter with ministerial colleagues and I have recently written to all Cabinet colleagues emphasising the importance of answering Questions for Written Answer within the 14-day deadline. My office also regularly reminds departments of the importance of responding to Questions within the deadline and registers concern with the relevant department every time an Answer becomes overdue.

Questions for Written Answer: Late Answers

Lord Jopling: asked the Leader of the House:
	Further to her Answer on 10 June (Official Report, col. 840), how many of the 10 Questions for Written Answer to the Home Office which have been awaiting a reply for a month or more on 26 June come within the responsibility of the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration and Minister for the West Midlands, Mr Liam Byrne.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Records show that 14 Questions on immigration issues were overdue for answer on 30 June. My office is working closely with the Home Office to improve the department's performance on Questions for Written Answer.

Railways: Blackpool Trams

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any proposals have been made concerning the possible connection of the Blackpool tram system with the main line railway between Blackpool South and Preston; and, if so, what is their reaction to such a scheme.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Neither the Department for Transport nor Network Rail has received a formal proposal concerning the possible connection of the Blackpool tram system with the mainline railway between Blackpool South and Preston.
	We are, however, aware that a bid for European funding was submitted by ReBlackpool, the urban regeneration company, in May 2008 under the Interreg 4B programme for a train-tram study to explore the viabilities of running a train-tram on the South Fylde line.

Railways: CCTV

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many train stations have closed-circuit television cameras with face-recognition software; and what plans exist to increase this number.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Department for Transport does not collect this type of information. Following a national review led by the Home Office, the National Policing Improvement Agency is leading on a national CCTV strategy programme aimed at, among other things, setting national standards. This work should lead to changes when equipment is renewed, rather than a campaign programme of change. Representatives from the department are members of the steering group alongside colleagues from other government departments and the police service.

Railways: High Speed 1

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 10 July (WA 100), whether the high-speed trains of the German and French railways could access the High Speed 1 link between London and the Channel Tunnel; and whether any regulatory obstacles to such operation are solely the responsibility of Eurotunnel and the French and British safety authorities.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: My previous Answer confirmed that High Speed 1 is available to any train operator that satisfies the requirements of the HS1 network statement. Network Rail (CTRL) Limited, as the infrastructure manager, under the ROGS regulations, manages the network statement on behalf of HS1. The network statement informs train operators of the rolling stock that can be used and sets out the safety requirements and the regulations to be complied with.
	Network Rail (CTRL) Limited has the responsibility on High Speed 1 to manage applications from train operators that wish to access the railway. The infrastructure managers of Eurotunnel and the French rail network have the same responsibilities on their respective networks.

Railways: Procurement

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the schedule of procurement of the 1,300 vehicles in the high-level output statement for the railways.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Procurement of the 1,300 vehicles will be undertaken by the train operating companies, following negotiations which are currently in hand, and announcements will be made in due course. Three hundred and seventeen vehicles have already been ordered.

Railways: Rolling Stock

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 10 July (WA 100), and in the light of growing rail traffic, what steps they will take to remove the barriers to financial approval of the procurement of new rolling stock faced by train operating companies as a result of the length of most railway franchises.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Department for Transport continues to work with train operators to procure additional vehicles to deliver the additional high level output specification capacity. More than 5,000 vehicles have been delivered into service in the past 12 years. The train operator enters into an operating lease with the financier for the period of its franchise, and this has not proved to be a barrier to funding of rail vehicles, as the financier takes the longer-term view.

Refugees: Sexual Violence

Baroness Northover: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the recent Save the Children report No One to Turn To about the involvement of international aid workers in sexual violence against refugees.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The UK takes all allegations of misconduct by UN and other peacekeepers extremely seriously and we welcome Save the Children's report highlighting this grave issue. We support any efforts to protect refugees, particularly the most vulnerable—women and children—from instances of abuse.
	It remains the case that the vast majority of UN staff live up to the highest standards of behaviour, while carrying out important work in difficult circumstances. But, where they do not live up to their mandate, we support the implementation of the UN's "zero tolerance" policy concerning instances of abuse.
	The Secretary of State for International Development raised this issue with the UN Secretary-General on 16 June. We are expecting a Security Council discussion on UN Resolution 1325 (Women, peace and security) in October. We will also be pushing for a Security Council presidential statement reinforcing the UN's commitment to zero tolerance concerning abuse by peacekeeepers.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in the light of reports of the use made by local authorities of powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, they will review the legislation and consider whether its use for purposes other than national security should be subject to judicial consent and review.

Lord West of Spithead: The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 requires that the use of a number of different covert investigatory techniques by public authorities is authorised only when it is necessary and proportionate with regard to human rights.
	The Act established an oversight regime, which includes independent inspection and scrutiny of public authority use of the powers by specially appointed commissioners, each of whom have held high judicial office.
	The commissioners report annually to the Prime Minister on the results of their inspections and their reports are published. The Act also established a tribunal, drawn from the judiciary and legal profession, to investigate complaints. The Government are satisfied with the independent review mechanisms in place for the use of covert investigatory powers by public authorities.

Research: Cyber Infrastructure

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to increase funding for cyber-infrastructure research projects in companies and universities in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) provides opportunities for funding for cyber-infrastructure research through its Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) programme, which will be investing £225 million in new research grants in the period 2008-09 to 2010-11, and through the Digital Economy programme, which will be investing £83 million in new research grants in 2008-09 to 2010-11.
	The Technology Strategy Board is currently developing a UK technology strategy in the areas of "Information and Communication Technologies", and "Electronics, Photonics and Electrical Systems". Funding will also be provided to stimulate business research and innovation focused on addressing key societal challenges such as "Intelligent Transport Systems and Services", "Assisted Living" and "Low Impact Buildings", which could provide opportunities for funding cyber-infrastructure research where appropriate. Funding in these areas will be approximately £40 million per annum.
	DIUS investments in space technologies, while not directed at cyber-infrastructure, may in the future and in some cases find a use in related applications.

Roads: M11

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the average daily volume of traffic between junctions 8 and 8A of the M11 motorway, and the number of vehicles entering or exiting the motorway at those junctions, in each of the last 10 years.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: There are no fixed counters on the short section of M11 motorway between junctions 8 and 8A or on most of the slip roads for these two junctions. The only data available from counters are those for the slip roads to/from the improved A120 at J8A since their completion in 2003, which are as follows:
	
		
			 Year J8A Southbound entering M11 J8A Northbound exiting M11 
			  ADT ADT 
			 2003 8,713 9,184 
			 2004 14,164 13,557 
			 2005 16,114 15,437 
			 2006 17,319 16,505 
			 2007 18,363 17,504

Roads: M25

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the average daily volume of traffic on the M25 motorway (a) between junctions 26 and 27, (b) between junctions 27 and 28, (c) entering or exiting the M25 at junction 27, and (d) entering or exiting at junction 28, in each of the past 10 years.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The following tables show information which is readily available for the past five years, excluding times when flows would be affected by long-term road works.
	The average daily volumes of traffic on the M25 (a) between junctions 26 and 27, and (b) between junctions 27 and 28 are shown in Table 1.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			 Year J26-27(A carriageway) J27-26(B carriageway) J27-28 (A carriageway) J28-27 (B carriageway) 
			 2003 63,500 58,500 66,100 65,700 
			 2004 64,200  64,900 64,800 
			 2005 63,800 57,400 65,800 65,200 
			 2006 63,100 50,600 63,100 62,200 
			 2007 62,400 54,800 62,900  
		
	
	(c) Volumes of traffic entering and exiting the M25 at junction 27 are shown in Table 2 and (d) for junction 28 in Table 3.
	
		
			 Table 2 
			 Year J27 Entry (A Carriageway) J27 Entry (B Carriageway) J27 Exit (A Carriageway) J27 Exit (B Carriageway) 
			 2003 26,600 20,000  25,900 
			 2004 26,800 21,400   
			 2005 26,400 21,100  23,300 
			 2006 28,500 19,200 19,000 27,000 
			 2007 28,800 21,500 20,100 27,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3 
			 Year J28 Entry (A Carriageway) J28 Entry (B Carriageway) J28 Exit (A Carriageway) J28 Exit (B Carriageway) 
			 2003  18,500   
			 2004 17,800 18,000 17,800 16,100 
			 2005 19,900 18,400 19,900 15,900 
			 2006  17,700  15,900 
			 200715,500 
		
	
	Where data are missing, the Highways Agency will investigate other sources and any further information will be placed in the Library of the House during the Summer Recess.

Sierra Leone: Fishing

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	(a) what progress they have made in helping fishermen in Sierra Leone eradicate illegal fishing; (b) whether a tracing scheme has been set up to track fish being exported to the European Union; (c) how much of the United Kingdom's £15 million funding scheme announced in April 2007 has been released; and (d) when all of the scheme's funding will have been released.

Lord Tunnicliffe: DfID currently provides financial support for the operations of the joint maritime authority, which polices the waters off Sierra Leone, and the British military forces in IMATT—the International Military Assistance Training Team—continue to provide capacity development through training. This national institution is at the frontline of tackling illegal fishing in Sierra Leone.
	The Government of Sierra Leone will set out their priorities in a forthcoming poverty reduction strategy paper (first draft expected July 2008). Depending on the weight given to the fisheries sector, DfID may engage the Government in further support. The fisheries programme is still subject to approval and thus no funding has yet been disbursed.
	On product tracking, the Government, through DfID and Defra, are working closely with major UK and European processors and retailers in the development of traceability systems for fish products entering European Union markets. We recognise that the ability to trace products from hook to fork is an effective means of ensuring fish are sourced legally and sustainably, although consideration needs to be given to ensuring that any new measures do not act unintentionally as barriers to legitimate trade for developing countries.

Suicide

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 18 June (WA 164), what criteria coroners in Northern Ireland use to determine whether deaths should be classified as suicide; whether they record their decisions; whether those decisions are publicly available; and by what criteria coroners decide whether an inquest is merited in the case of suicide-classified death.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: A coroner will consider all the available evidence in determining whether a death was as a result of suicide. Where the facts surrounding a death are not clear the coroner may hold an inquest. It is normal practice for the coroner to consult the family of the deceased before reaching a decision on whether to hold an inquest.
	Where an inquest is held and the cause of death is found to be suicide the finding will be recorded as "deceased died by his own act" and the medical cause of death will also be recorded. In reaching a decision on whether a death was as a result of suicide relevant factors are whether the act of the deceased was voluntary, what his or her intention was, and whether the death was in fact a consequence of his or her act.
	Coroners' findings are recorded and can be released on the authority of the coroner.

Telecommunications: Fibre-optic Ducting

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the trial installation of fibre-optic ducting on the A14 for 20 miles between Catthorpe and junction 9 will be a trial of the procedure for installing the ducting or the below-ground termination chambers; and, if neither, what will be on trial.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The trial installation on the A14 is to develop a new telecommunications solution for delivering transmission services to roadside devices. The trial includes investigating a range of technologies and installation practices, including new standards for cable ducting, fibre-optic cable installation, cable jointing and the use of new types of active transmission equipment. The trial aims to deliver a cost-effective telecommunications solution for the all-purpose trunk road network.

Terrorism: Proscribed Organisations

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking, following the deproscription of the People's Mujaheddin of Iran as a result of a judgment in the Court of Appeal, to remove the People's Mujaheddin of Iran from the European Union's list of terrorist organisations.

Lord West of Spithead: The UK informed EU partners of the POAC and Court of Appeal judgments, and of the courts' view that the PMOI was not concerned in terrorism. The UK also informed the Council of the European Union when the PMOI was deproscribed on 24 June, and invited the Council to consider the implications of the UK deproscription on the current EU listing under Common Position 931/2001.
	The Council has subsequently adopted a new decision (Common Position 586/2008 of 15 July), on the basis of a different national competent authority decision not associated with the UK proscription, to continue to list the PMOI. The Council has written to the PMOI, setting out in a revised statement of reasons why it has been retained on the list.

Tourism: Cruise Ships

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much each regional development agency with at least one port in its area spent on cruise liner tourism and marketing in the past five years.

Baroness Vadera: RDA Total amount spent (£k) over past five years 
			 AWM Nil (No Cruise liner Ports) 
			 EEDA Nil 
			 EMDA Nil 
			 LDA Nil 
			 NWDA1 9,960 
			 ONE 227 
			 SEEDA 100 
			 SWERDA 50 
			 YF Nil 
		
	
	Footnote:
	1. The high level of investment in this area by NWDA includes over £9,000,000 capital investment the cruise liner facility on Liverpool waterfront.

Transport: Heavy Goods Vehicles

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 24 June (WA 243—44), whether the fall in prohibitions for United Kingdom drivers of vehicles with mechanical defects and the growth in numbers prohibited through excessive driving hours and overweight vehicles is due to improvements in the United Kingdom heavy transport industry or a decrease in the number of spot checks applied to United Kingdom vehicles.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: In the Answer that was given on 24 June in the (Official Report, col. WA 243-44) the figures for the number of prohibitions for mechanical defects for 2007-08 for foreign heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and all HGVs were provisional. Following further analysis the numbers have been revised and are now:
	
		
			 2007-08 Foreign HGVs Prohibitions UK HGVs Prohibitions All HGVs Prohibitions Percentage of foreign HGVs Prohibitions 
			 Mechanical all 14,919 20,954 35,870 46% 
		
	
	The UK HGV prohibitions for mechanical defects for 2006-07 were 20,016, compared to 20,951. Therefore, the revised figures do not suggest any significant fall in the number of prohibitions. It is not possible to infer from these figures the reasons for any minor variations between years.

Uganda: International Aid

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their assessment of the amount of international assistance required in northern Uganda; and in what ways they can attract the attention of OECD donors to this issue.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The UK Government and their international partners recognise the need to focus greater attention and priority to the development of northern Uganda. They will do this through the United Nations Consolidated Appeal (UN CAP), which has an estimated requirement of $375 million for 2008, and the Government of Uganda's Peace Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP), which estimates total costs of US $606 million over the next three years (includes Government of Uganda funds as well as international funding requirements). These remain the best estimates of the amounts required of international financial assistance.
	The UK Government, along with colleagues from OECD countries represented in Uganda, are co-ordinating their response, in support of the Government of Uganda, with the key multilateral agencies such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the UN.

Uganda: International Aid

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What estimates there are of the cost of providing humanitarian assistance to the Acholi people and reconstructing war-affected areas of northern Uganda.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The best estimates for the cost of providing humanitarian, recovery and development assistance to all the people of the north, including the regions of the Acholi people, are contained in the United Nations Consolidated Appeal (UN CAP), and the Government of Uganda's Peace Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP).
	The UN Consolidated Appeal is the main funding instrument for the humanitarian response for the north, and it estimates the cost of the humanitarian effort in 2008 at US $375 million.
	The Peace Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP) is the Government of Uganda's overarching framework for the post-conflict recovery for the north. The Government of Uganda's estimated costs associated with implementing this plan are US $606 million over the next three years.

Visas: Migrant Domestic Workers

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why they are proposing to discontinue the migrant domestic workers visa; and to what extent they took account of the personal histories of women workers who have been abused by employers in making that decision.

Lord West of Spithead: I refer the noble Lord to my Answer of 3 July (WA 49).